Galactosemia

Galactosemia

•  Some of the symptoms of galactosemia include “kidney failure, an enlarged liver, cataracts, poor growth and mental retardation” (“Galactosemia” 1).
• Galactosemia affects “the body’s ability to break down a food sugar called galactose” (“Galactosemia” 1). This food sugar is found in milk and other dairy products. These sugars are typically broken down by the body and used for energy. This disorder is passed down in an “autosomal recessive pattern. To get the disorder, a child must inherit one defective gene from each parent. Inheriting one normal gene and one mutated gene makes a person a carrier… Defects in galactose metabolism cause toxic chemicals to build up in cells of the body” (“Galactosemia” 1).
•  There is no cure for galactosemia. However a very effective treatment is monitoring what someone is eating and having dietary restrictions. Essentially, if someone with this disorder avoids foods and drinks containing galactose, including milk, cheese, and legumes, then the disorder does not manifest itself.
• This disorder affects every 1 in 55,000 newborns.